


Reverse Psychology

by Sundriedlilies



Category: Emma Swan - Fandom, Once Upon A Time - Fandom, Regina Mills/The Evil Queen - Fandom, SwanQueen - Fandom
Genre: F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 13:53:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11968776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sundriedlilies/pseuds/Sundriedlilies
Summary: The most hurtful thing Ms. Swan has ever said to Ms. Mills is, well- nothing at all.





	Reverse Psychology

Regina’s brown, slightly empty, eyes dart up to the door the moment she hears the bell signal a new customer entering the diner. She's been expecting Emma to show up with Henry for nearly thirty minutes now. Alas, she releases a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding once she catches a glimpse of little Henry darting around, what looked to be a rather aloof Emma Swan.  
  
The mayor gives a subtle hand gesture to beckon them to where she sits. Henry makes it to her first, smothering her in hugs and kisses all while eagerly explaining to his mother that he has a field trip coming up. Regina smiles down to him and leaves a kiss atop of his head. “Sweetie, why don't you go and ask Ms. Lucas if you can get your usual for lunch?” Henry nods eagerly before he hurriedly hugs Emma and gives a half hearted see you later.

Green eyes travel behind him, trying to hold on to something they can't quite grasp. Emma never turns back to meet Regina’s gaze, not even after the mayor clears her throats rather loudly. Emma’s eyes only fall to the floor in response, as if it's just too much to actually make eye contact.  
  
“You’re late.” The brunette says shortly, with a snipping tone. Emma offers her nothing aside from silence which causes a bout of annoyance and anger to stir within Regina. “Care to explain why?” Nothing. “Are you that dense, Ms. Swan, so as to not even give me a half thought about excuse like you do so often?”

The mayor’s eyebrows furrowed as she feels herself growing more frustrated with her counterpart. “What is your problem? Surely you hold the brain capacity to make eye contact.” She seethes. But her insults are getting her nowhere. She lets out a huff and stares hard at the blonde, giving her ample opportunity to respond.

“Ms. Swan-“ she fixes herself to throw something scathing towards the blonde, but Emma turns to walk away before the mayor can say anything past her name, leaving Regina a bit dumbfounded and her mouth slightly agape.

Brown eyes uncharacteristically follow behind her, but they don't linger for too long. Henry comes prancing back to sit across from her with a grilled cheese sandwich in his hands and her attention is immediately refocused to him.

“Where's ma?” He says, sounding muffled due to the food in his mouth. Regina watches as little specks of bread land on the table and sends him a look of disapproval.

She quickly grabs for the napkins and hands them to him. “Honey, please don't talk with your mouth full, it's unbecoming. I think you've spent too much time with Ms. Swan.”

“No!” He quickly interjects, this time a slightly bigger chunk of chewed up food came flying on to the table which causes Regina raise her eyebrows as if to say “I rest my case.” Henry only slumps further in his seat and covers his mouth. “Sorry, mom.” He says meekly.

Regina softens and gives him a small smile. “It's fine, it seems that your mother wasn't feeling so well, so she won't be joining us today.”

Henry’s little eyebrows furrow as he flashes his mother a look of confusion. “That's not true, she's been fine all day.”

The mayor only waves her hand dismissively, not really caring enough about the other woman to delve any deeper on the topic. “Well eat up, you have school tomorrow.” They spend the rest of their time talking about their day and what Henry wanted to do for the weekend.  
XXX

It's almost a week later when she comes into contact with Emma once more, and she doesn't even notice. She doesn't notice how her days are lacking the usual petty arguments that she and Emma carry out. The mayor is too consumed with this newfound quietness, she's unknowingly grown accustomed to.

Now, she's enjoying her day with her son in a park that Henry seems to enjoy, and he's a several feet ahead of her on his small bike while Regina’s eyes are trained down on her phone. She's been getting message after message about a few kids vandalizing school properties, with no word from the sheriff. She's rang the office a total of four times and each time David has answered assuring the mayor that the sheriff would get back to her, but the blonde has offered her nothing thus far.

So it isn't a surprise when Regina glances away from her phone to find Henry only to see him chatting happily with his other mother, that she storms over to Emma with fire in her eyes. The blonde seems to be taken aback but she regains her hard exterior almost instantly.

“Ms. Swan, a word?” Emma doesn't offer her a response so she looks down to their son and hands him money to get ice cream at a nearby ice cream truck. Once he was out of earshot Regina turns back to her affliction, only to find the blonde walking away towards the opposite direction.

The mayor hastily propels herself forward. “Hey-“ she falls into step with Emma. “Why haven't you answered any of my calls or texts? I need to know what our sheriff is doing to keep these recent vandalisms under control.”

Regina finds it strange, very strange, that Emma seems to be avoiding eye contact with her yet again. This, silence that she's receiving, the mayor can't understand it, she doesn't understand why. Her eyebrows furrow on their on accord as she reaches out to to turn Emma to face her.

“What is this?” She snips, motioning between their two bodies. “Have you done something?” Because Emma has to be avoiding Regina for a reason, and the mayor can practically see it written all over her face. “Out with it then, nothing can be any more moronic than the time you-“

If Regina wanted to finish her sentence the blonde gave her no chance to. She snatches her arm from the mayor’s grasp and storms off.

XXX

It is exactly two days later when Regina comes in contact with Emma Swan again. She's standing on the other side of Mary Margret’s apartment door, and she can hear distant laughter coming from the other side. She recognizes it as Henry and Emma, probably doing something silly… like that godforsaken game they like to play with the pillow forts.

She rolls her eyes and proceeds to knock on the door and it doesn't take long for the pixie haired brunette to swing the door open with a smile on her face. “Regina.” She breathes. “Please come in. I’m almost done with dinner. David and the baby are watching tv and Henry and Emma are-“ Mary stops at only the site of two big heaps of pillows on opposite side of her living room and shakes her head. “I'm assuming Henry and Emma are hiding somewhere underneath all these pillows.”

Regina arches an unamused eyebrow, but silently nods her head. She waits before Mary Margret re-enters the kitchen, before putting her purse down and stepping further into the living room. She eyes both forts suspiciously, trying to figure out which one is her son. “Henry?”

There's a delayed response as Henry tries to fight his way from under all the pillows. “Mommy!” He screeches before ungracefully stumbling forward to wrap his tiny arms around his mother's legs. The mayor nearly topples over from the force. “Have you been eating candy?” Henry pulls back with the biggest grin in places and nods enthusiastically. “What have I told you about candy before dinner?”

“Ma gave it to me.”

Regina looks to the ceiling and sighs. “Ms. Swan, what have I told you about giving our son candy before dinner?” She says to the blonde, that only just now comes from under her fort. When Emma arises, her hair is slightly tousled, and she shoves her hands into her pockets awkwardly.

The blonde doesn't look at Regina, doesn't acknowledge her presence, instead she looks at her son. “Henry go wash up, dinner will be ready soon.” Regina flashes Emma a glare, that the blonde does not see as her eyes are fixed on something in the kitchen.

This is the third time, the mayor notices, that the blonde does not look at her. She bites the inside of her jaw to quell her annoyance. “Ms. Swan is there a problem of some sort?” She inquires to have Emma not respond to her. “Because if there is-“ she continues. “I suggest you woman up and talk to me like an adult.”

Regina thinks she’s going to get a response, when green eyes flicker to meet her gaze for no more than a second, and it's the most she's gotten out of Emma in their last three encounters. But she is wrong, Emma averts her gaze just as soon as she meets it. The blonde lets out a dejected sigh and walks into the kitchen without saying another word.

The brunette stands rooted in her spot feeling a little incompetent, as she listens to Emma fall into an easy and surprisingly light conversation with her mother. She feels irksome frustration bubble in her chest as she tries to think of any plausible reason Emma may be giving her the silent treatment.

She hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. Surely Emma isn't suddenly sensitive about the countless insults Regina throws at her in a day, she's never had a problem with it before. Surely, she can't be emotional over Henry, not when Regina willingly agrees to let Emma have him whenever she feels. Things are fine at work, the mayor and the sheriff get along. Not enough to be considered as friends but enough to get their jobs done peacefully.

She feels her frustration grow when she cannot come up with any plausible cause for being on the receiving end of Emma’s cold shoulder. Regina tries to think of any other times the blonde had been angry at her and what for, but nothing makes sense.

The mayor stealthily walks into the kitchen and grabs Emma by her arm, pulling her away from her mother. “We’ll be right back.” She throws at Mary Margret before she practically shoves Emma into the hallway and closes the door.

“Why are you ignoring me?” Anger with hints of underlying confusion and eagerness to know lace her voice as she tries to keep her tone hushed.

But Emma offers her nothing.

“Okay, this is getting old Ms. Swan.” She says exasperatedly. “I won't play this game with you.”

The blonde’s only response is to turn and leave, but Regina catches her by the wrist effectively stopping her. “Did I do something?” She asks nearly pained, and she can't understand why it's bothering her so. She can't understand why it matters if Emma pays attention to everyone in the room except her. There was a time the mayor prayed for Emma’s departure, now she's seemingly willing for something else entirely. What is this?

She drops emma’s wrist as if it has burned her hand and takes a step back. She doesn't care if Emma ignores her, she doesn't. And she tells herself that continuously as she watches the blonde walk away from her and back into her mother’s apartment feeling more confused and angry than she should have.

Dinner is normal, like any other dinner, except for maybe the fierce glares that Regina sends emma’s way every time the blonde openly ignores her or the fleeting looks Regina tosses at Emma when she chats jovially with everyone else except her. 

XXX

“What have you done?” Regina grits out as she jabs an index finger into Killian’s chest.

He takes an instinctive step back, away from the irate mayor as a playful smirk spreads across his face. “I have not a clue of what you're talking about love.” The pirate says coyly, before opening his flask and taking an unhealthy swig from it. “Care to enlighten me?”

Brown eyes roll on their own accord as Regina’s top lip curls up into a snarl. “You know very well that I'm referring to Emma.”

Killan raises his eyebrows and barely stifles a laugh by hiding behind his flask. “Why would I do anything to Swan, love? We’ve barely spoken since the break-up.” He shrugs.

Regina’s eyes fall to the ground as she gets lost in her own thoughts. “You must've done something. Think!” She swats at his head, figuring he's to drunk to realize the severity of the situation.

“Hey, ow- ow! Stop it, jeez.” He spills alcohol as he brings his arms up to shield himself. “Listen, I told you the truth! I haven't done anything to Emma, in fact we ended on good terms, mutual terms. She doesn't hate me and I don't hate her.”

“Then why won't she talk to me?” She doesn't mean to blurt it out, and she doesn't mean to sound so much like someone who might care, some one who may even be the slightest bit hurt.

Killian’s eyes widen as he slowly lowers his arms back down to his sides. He closes his flask and sticks it in his back pocket, already sporting a look of sympathy that Regina loathes. She knows that it's too late, the pirate thinks she cares about Emma Swan, but she doesn't. She doesn't care if it's been nearly two weeks now and every encounter they've had Regina seems a little more desperate in the blonde’s presence.

She feels dejected and a little hopeless as she turns to leave. “I’m- I don't know why I came here.” She says as she wrings her fingers together. Her hands are shaking for reasons unbeknownst to her. “I have to go get Henry.” She calls over her shoulder not understanding why she feels the need to explain herself to Killian of all people.

Regina walks the short distance from Killian’s apartments to the diner, deciding that she needs the air and quietness to clear her mind. She never would have thought that emma’s silence would be the loudest thing the blonde has ever said to her. She's never thought of it, but she somehow hears this more clearly than anything the blonde has ever literally said to her.

She scoffs at herself and swings open the diner door. It doesn't take long for her to spot Henry chatting animatedly with Ruby while Emma seemingly goes along with whatever it is that he's saying. She feels slightly torn between leaving and trying to talk to Emma one more time, even though she knows she’ll get nowhere. But her feet carries her forward, making the decision for her, she tells herself that she's come to get her son.

She slides easily onto the barstool next to Emma and the blonde doesn't even react, nothing out of the ordinary there. Henry waves enthusiastically at her and she flashes him a smile and returns the sentiment. “How was school?”

He remembers to chew his food this time before he speaks. “Allison wants me to come over this weekend. Ma said it was okay if you said yes.” Regina’s eyes flicker to stare intently at the blonde but she doesn't say anything.

“That's fine.” She agrees. “Uh, will you be dropping him off, or would you like for me to do it?” She asks, and Emma ignores her easily. Regina expects that, she feels a tinge of annoyance, but it's slowly being consumed by something else, that she doesn't care to acknowledge right now. “I can do it.” She offers in lieu of getting no response

“So… how was your day?” The mayor feels more than a little ridiculous as she makes a fool of herself in front of the entire town, though no one seems to be paying attention to them. Even Henry has lost interest and is chatting it up with Ruby. But her cheeks still become slightly reddened when Emma openly ignores her.

She sighs and glances to the left and then to the right and ever so slightly leans a little closer to Emma. “You've made your point Ms. Swan. You're giving me the silent treatment, but it's not necessary. Just yell at me already so we can get back to how things were.”

Silence.

“I didn't do anything.” Regina is sure of it, because she's racked her brain countless times trying to think of something, and she's come up with nothing time after time. “Or….” She studies Emma’s defeated posture, a vast contrast to the way the woman looked before the mayor arrived, and she thinks again. “Maybe I did do something? But how am I supposed to know when you won't talk to me?” She sounds so unlike herself, a little vulnerable and almost weak. “You won't even look at me.” There's turmoil brewing in Regina's eyes, while Emma’s eyes are as unreadable as ever, and it's killing her.

What did she do that was so bad to make the blonde shut out her existence? Nothing could've been worse than the time Regina tried to poison her, but Emma forgave her for that and pretty quickly too.

The mayor feels a sinking feeling in her chest that she doesn't understand as she thinks that she may never gain Emma’s forgiveness, as she doesn't even know what she's done that was so horrible. She wants to apologize, she feel the words “I'm sorry, please…” pile up in the back of her throat threatening to spill out like vomit. But that would make her feel too powerless. She already feels weak enough. So she falls into something a little more familiar. Anger and intimidation.

“Fine.” Regina says in the most formal voice she can muster. “You will continue to play this game alone, don't worry about me Ms. Swan. You were never really worth the time or effort anyway. I just thought it would be best for Henry if we were at least on speaking terms. But you're a child and silly of me to think you held the brain capacity to grasp such a simple concept. You can’t, and if you want to sabotage what is already deemed as a dysfunctional- situation, then go right ahead. But make sure you explain to my son why we can no longer be in the same room. He deserves an explanation at the very least if you won't give one to me.”

Her heart is beating wildly in her chest and her eyes are filled with untold emotions as she watches Emma storm out of the diner. She has to tell herself that she doesn't care, and that there is no reason to chase after her. But she still finds herself regretting everything she just said.

“Is she alright?” Ruby chirps, effectively breaking Regina from her reverie. Somewhere along the way many of the diner’s patrons had stopped their own conversations and was now staring at the mayor. The brunette feels angry all over again, it should've been her to storm out avoiding the embarrassment of what just happened, not Emma.

“She's fine.” Regina barks as she throws enough money on the bar to cover Henry’s bill and a tip for Ruby. “Henry, lets go.” And the small boy hops down from his stool and looks a little nervous as he follows his mother.

“Why are you mad at Emma?” Henry asks only after they're in the car. His mother looks at him through the rear view mirror and then back to the road.

“I'm not mad at her.” She sighs. “She's- your mother seems to be the one upset with me.”

“Oh.” He responds dejectedly, and a thought crosses Regina’s mind.

“Has she said anything about me?” She feels guilty immediately, using her son to gain any leverage that she can on the situation, but she can't help it anymore. She needs the blonde to speak to her.

Henry shrugs and looks out the window. “Yea, sometimes.” Is the only thing he offers. “She's always saying really nice things about you… she takes up for you when people in the town say mean things about you. She thinks I don't hear, but I do.” He says before his mother can question him even further.

Regina feels a knot forming in her throat after hearing that information. She feels horrible for everything she just said to Emma, and for whatever she has done to blonde. She wants to take everything back, she wants forgiveness now more than ever. “I- I'm sorry.” She says meekly.

“For what?” Henry asks.

Regina doesn't know, for everything, because she's seemingly the one at fault for whatever’s wrong with Emma. “Everything.” She says softly, and why doesn't she just have enough courage to say that to Emma?

“It's okay mom. I'm sure Emma will forgive you tomorrow.”

Never has the brunette wished for anything more than for those words to be true, but alas they are not. The next day Regina does not see Emma, the blonde doesn't make an appearance when she drops Henry off at Mary Margret’s in the morning nor does she get to see her at the diner when she picks him up.

She's a bit surprised to see Mary, figuring that what she's said to Emma has made the blonde disappear all together. She feels an aching feeling in her chest as an onslaught of thoughts of the blonde finally leaving Storybrooke came crashing into the forefront of her mind.

She makes her way over to the booth on shaky legs and ungracefully plops into the booth. “Where's Emma?” She finds herself asking before she can process anything else.

“Well, I'm happy to see you too.” Mary replies matter-of-factly. “And to answer your question, she picked up another shift at work.”

“Why?” The mayor asks confused. Why was she unaware of this?

“She wants to move out of the apartment.” Mary says with a smile, and immediately Regina feels dread wash over her as if the pixie haired woman just confirmed her plaguing thoughts. “She wants to get her own place, hence why she's starting to work over time…”

“Oh.” And brown eyes fall to study the patterns on the table. Emma isn't leaving and she so, so relieved.

“Maybe you could give her a raise of some sort.”

The mayor blinks silently and glances down to a mysteriously quiet Henry. “I'll go over the budget tonight. I'm sure I could swing a little more money towards the sheriff’s department.”

“That was easier than I thought.” The brunette chirps before she follows Regina’s line of sight. “Oh and Henry here, isn't too happy about Emma picking up double shifts. She won't be able to see him as often for a good while.” She says the last part with a hint of melancholy, and Regina thinks of how convenient it is that Emma decided she wants to move out and take on more work after yesterday’s conversation. It leaves an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach as she feels that this too is somehow her own fault.

“Well, maybe we can fix that.” The mayor offers weakly. “With a raise she won't need to work long hours after all.”

Henry doesn't give much of a reaction, save for snuggling up to his grandmother’s side with a pout fixed on his lips. Regina flashes him a look of sympathy before she redirects her attention to the woman sitting in front of her. “Can I ask you something?” The mayor can't believe she's doing this, can't believe she's reached this level of desperation, yet here she is.

“I don't see why not.”

The brunette clears her throat and momentarily thinks of backing out, but she can't. “Does Emma seem different to you?… More quiet, maybe?” She watches as Mary’s eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“No, she's completely fine. Why? Did you two have a fight?”

Regina opens her mouth only to clamp it shut, trapping whatever response she was about to give. She shakes her head slightly, as if to erase her thoughts, and replaces her impassive look with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. “No, she's just seemed a little off lately. But maybe I'm just imagining things.” She dismisses before gathering her things. “Henry, come we have to get you packed for this weekend.”

Henry solemnly says goodbye to his grandmother and follows Regina out the door. The mayor notices how her son sulks and thinks she won't delay reviewing the budget. But it's not until they enter the confines of the mayoral mansion, and no amount of appeasement soothes henry’s melancholy mood, that Regina thinks something else may be wrong completely.

“I'll give Emma the raise.” She tries as Henry folds his arms and refuses to look at her. “I'll go make the changes right now so that she can spend all the time in the world with you.” He doesn't look at her and none of her bargaining is working anyway. So she turns to leave, but then she hears the smallest little sniffle, and her heart breaks.

“Henry, please-“

“No! This is your fault.” He spins around and his face is beat red. Tears are streaming down his cheeks and he has so much anger in his, usually warm, brown eyes. “You did this.” He says accusingly.

Regina feels slightly panicked at the insinuation of blame being thrown at her. “What did I do?” Fear laces her voice.

“Emma’s leaving, and it's because of you!” He cries, and god does it hurt to see him like this, but somehow his words seem to do the most damage. They sneak past all of her turmoil and stab her right in the chest.

And suddenly, her whole world is turned upside down. Emma is leaving after all. Emma would leave without so little as a goodbye, or an explanation. Her chest feels heavy and her throat hurts. She’s crying before she can realize it. Somehow the fact that she has to hear the news from Henry breaks her even more. Whatever she's done to Emma, she not only hurt her, but she’s managed to break her. And she hates herself for it. “No, she can't… she hasn't even- she won't even tell me what I've done wrong.”

She rushes Henry back to Mary Margret's apartment and offers her a half thought out explanation, about how she has to work late tonight. She doesn't give Mary a chance to respond. Before she bolts and makes her way to the sheriff’s station.

The mayor is out of breath and her mascara is running now, but her only focus is to get to the sheriff. She doesn't know what she's expecting when she gets there, but surely she doesn't expect to see Emma placing her belongings into a small brown box that sits atop her desk.

“So its true?” She fights to keep a straight face, but it's hard, especially when Emma ignores her and continues to pack her things. It's so hard for Regina to not fall to her knees and beg Emma to stay, but she manages.

“Dammit, Emma stop it!” Her eyes are wide and filled with unshed tears as she watches in horror as the blonde doesn't even acknowledge her. “…please?” She asks softly. “I- please tell me what I did.” Nothing. “I'm sorry!” She says through a shaky voice. “I'm sorry for whatever I did, I'm sorry for everything.” She offers helplessly.

“But I can't take this silence, I can't handle you ignoring me… and I can't watch you leave. Not like this. Just give me something. I need-“

She falls silent the moment Emma looks up at her with what Regina can only decipher as anger and hate. “You need what?” And Regina’s words get caught in her throat, Emma has finally spoken to her.

“I need you to work with me.” She pleads desperately. “And I need you to stay.”

“Why?” Emma’s voice sounds like velvet when it's directed at her. Even if the blonde looks half angry and half impassive. Regina’s ear’s perk up and her heart flutters painfully.

“For Henry.” The brunette answers on autopilot. “He'll be devistated if you leave.” _I’ll be... devestated._  

  
Emma doesn't say anything this time, she only goes back to packing, and the action propels Regina forward. She places a soft hand atop of Emma’s and the blonde momentarily halts her actions. She stares down at their joined hands and snarls, snatching her limb away as if it physically hurt to be so near to Regina.

“Please just tell me what I've done.” The brunette begs. “I never meant to, whatever it was.” Her voice is laced with so much desperation and if she weren't so afraid right now, she'd be disgusted in herself. But there is no room for that, not when the threat of Emma leaving seems to be very real. “Emma, please look at me.” The blonde ignores her request, by keeping her back turned. “I didn't mean it.”

“Just-“ Regina’s panicked eyes search frantically for any sign as to why the blonde might be leaving, but she comes up with nothing. “Emma, please just give me a sign- or something, anything.”

The brunette waits with her fingers intertwined with one another and the seconds feel like hours. She's just about to waltz right up to Emma and spin her around when the blonde suddenly turns and heads straight for her.

There's untold emotions in her green eyes, but Regina can easily pick out anger. But for what? She doesn't have time to analyze or process anything before emma’s dainty hand curves around the back of her head and pulls regina’s lips to meet hers… and this most certainly isn’t the sign she's been expecting- or necessarily wanting. But god, does it feel like a heaven she never knew existed.

When Emma pulls back Regina has to catch her breath. The blonde looks completely different, timid now, almost afraid. She closes her eyes and drags her fingers roughly through her hair. “There. There's your sign.” When green eyes open again, they are completely impassive. Emma stares at Regina for a few moments longer and then she turns to grab her belongings.

The brunette is frozen as she watches her as she gathers her small box and tucks it under her arm. Her lips are tingling and she wants to stop Emma now more than ever, but she doesn't move, her body never receives the message from her brain.Regina’s heart is breaking and tears are slipping down her face before she even realizes it. “Emma…” She barely manages before she catches Emma and press their lips together again.

“You're not leaving Henry.” Regina says when she pulls away, and she can see the hurt swirling in green eyes, before something clicks in her brain, and she finally understands it all. “You're not leaving _me_.” She clarifies.

“It took you long enough.” Emma breathes.


End file.
